UV-induced electron transfer between triethylamine and 5-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine. A puzzle concerning the photochemical debromination of labeled DNA.

5-Bromo-2'-deoxyuridine (BrdU) photosensitizes DNA to strand break formation. However, this type of photodamage is completely quenched by the presence of triethylamine (TEA) which originates from RP-HPLC purification commonly employed by oligonucleotide providers. While the presence of TEA in oligonucleotide samples does not interfere with PCR or other molecular biology applications, the mechanism of photochemical reaction proceeding in the labeled DNA is dramatically changed due to the photoinduced electron transfer (PET) between the photoexcited BrdU and the ground state TEA.

Quantitative assay of photoinduced DNA strand breaks by real-time PCR.

Real-time PCR (qPCR) - a modern methodology primarily used for studying gene expression has been employed for the quantitative assay of an important class of DNA damage - single strand breaks. These DNA lesions which may lead to highly cytotoxic double strand breaks were quantified in a model system where double stranded DNA was sensitized to UV photons by labeling with 5-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine. The amount of breaks formed due to irradiation with several doses of 320nm photons was assayed by two independent methods: LC-MS and qPCR.

Mechanisms of Damage to DNA Labeled with Electrophilic Nucleobases Induced by Ionizing or UV Radiation.

Hypoxia--a hallmark of solid tumors--makes hypoxic cells radioresistant. On the other hand, DNA, the main target of anticancer therapy, is not sensitive to the near UV photons and hydrated electrons, one of the major products of water radiolysis under hypoxic conditions. A possible way to overcome these obstacles to the efficient radio- and photodynamic therapy of cancer is to sensitize the cellular DNA to electrons and/or ultraviolet radiation.

Reactivity pattern of bromonucleosides induced by 2-hydroxypropyl radicals: photochemical, radiation chemical, and computational studies.

The bromonucleosides (BrdX's) 5-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine (BrdU), 5-bromo-2'-deoxycytidine (BrdC), 8-bromo-2'-deoxyadenosine (BrdA), and 5-bromo-2'-deoxyguanosine (BrdG) may substitute for ordinary nucleosides in DNA. As indicated by electron-stimulated desorption experiments, such a modified biopolymer is greater than 2-3-fold more sensitive to damage induced by excess electrons. The other major product of water radiolysis, the (•)OH radical, may form a number of other radicals in chemical reactions with the complex content of the cell.

DHPLC and MS studies of a photoinduced intrastrand cross-link in DNA labeled with 5-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine.

It is well known that the replacement of thymidine with 5-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine (BrdU) in DNA sensitizes it to UVB light. Irradiation of a biopolymer substituted in such a way leads to manifold kinds of DNA damage, such as intrastrand cross-links, single- and double-strand breaks or alkali-labile sites that were studied in the past with a broad spectrum of analytical methods. Here, we demonstrate that completely denaturing high-performance liquid chromatography (DHPLC), underestimated so far in DNA damage studies, could act as an inexpensive, and high-resolution substitute for the commonly employed gel electrophoresis.